NASCAR and eSports: Why the time is now

For a sport that has many questions when it comes to sponsorship dollars, the time is now for NASCAR to venture into the eSports industry.

There are rumblings that NASCAR is looking at entering the competitive video gaming scene, also known as eSports. It seems like a very wise and smart venture.

While NASCAR and their teams continue through the offseason and the month-long stretch that leads to the Daytona 500, the sport continues to look for ways to improve the sport through various new partnerships behind the scenes.

Adam Stern of Sports Business Daily writes that NASCAR is currently finalizing a plan to incorporate eSports competitions at every NASCAR race during the 2018 season.

NASCAR currently has partnerships with iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations as well as developer 704Games, who currently have the exclusive NASCAR license to produce NASCAR digital entertainment.

While there are no real specifics yet as to what NASCAR has planned for this venture, it is important to realize that NASCAR has a grand opportunity on their hands when it comes to competitive video gaming, also known as eSports.

Before going further into competitive video gaming, it is known within the NASCAR community that it has a remarkable history when it comes to video games. Hardcore NASCAR fans will remember titles like Bill Elliott’s NASCAR Challenge, as well as NASCAR Heat and the Papyrus NASCAR Racing titles that came out throughout the 1990’s and the early 2000’s.

NASCAR was one of the first sports leagues in the country to incorporate eSports into their sanctioned series with the NASCAR Peak Antifreeze Series powered by iRacing.com back in 2010.

Over the last five years, NASCAR has seen a relative decline in the young demographic when it comes to watching and attending NASCAR events. They are still continuing to make up for that demographic shift. However, NASCAR would be smart to welcome eSports. If proven successful, more fans will be aware of NASCAR as a sport, and the potential growth for more young fans will show itself.

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Jeff Dunn of Business Insider wrote last March that researchers believe the eSports industry could grow as much as over $1 billion dollars by 2020, with an expected 580 million in viewers.  Sports like the NFL, NBA, and even the NHL have already grown their brands by using eSports as a way to draw more young fans into their sports with eSports competitions through titles such as Madden NFL and NBA 2K.

The only question that needs to be answered is what platform, or what video game rather, will they use for the events every weekend? You have NASCAR Heat developer 704Games and NASCAR Heat. You also have iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations.

If NASCAR are going to do this right, it is only appropriate that they bring in the most simulation-based software. Therefore, iRacing feels more like the better choice. NBA 2K and Madden NFL are not 100% simulation, but they are closer and closer every year to what you see in real life.

When it comes to NASCAR, iRacing is the most realistic NASCAR experience. However, NASCAR Heat would be able to incorporate more fans in competing because of console accessibility and familiarity.

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Regardless of what route NASCAR goes, the time is now for NASCAR to really incorporate itself into the  eSports scene. If they are able to take this opportunity and be successful, more fans will be aware of the sport, which has the potential to grow the sport in a time where sponsorship dollars are dwindling and questions about the sport’s future are up in the air. Only time will tell.